G-157 Read Online Free Page B

groaning as she slung the heavy bag over her shoulder. Melissa winked at her when the bell to first period rang.
    “Do it,” Melissa said, and waved as they parted ways to their first hours.
    Aire greeted her history teacher and took her seat. She had just flipped to their new chapter on Africa when a familiar voice called to her from behind. She’d heard that voice nearly every day since kindergarten. It had been higher then, the face that went with it more rounded and smooth. That voice had belonged to a second-grader when she first heard its magical tone. The school believed that the best way to learn something was to teach it, and the second-graders had come into her kindergarten class to teach them to read as they enhanced their own new literary skills. The quiet boy with the deep green eyes had chosen her to teach . He gave her the gift of reading over the course of a few afternoons, and within a year she had skipped ahead two grades because of what he taught her. Now as she turned to look at those unchanged deep green eyes she’d looked into so many times, the thought of asking to wear their owner’s practice jersey scared her even more than the thought of living out the rest of her life in John’s Town.
    “Hey, Aire,” he said as he took his seat behind her.
    “Hi, Troy,” she replied , and tried to cover her hand over her bangs without being obvious.
    “Did you finish your report on the lost tribes of New Guinea?”
    “Yeah, I don’t think I like them though,” she said.
    “Why not?”
    “Because,” she said. “They’re all walking around half naked thinking red heads are witches and eating people they don’t like. Yeah it would be cool to live in the jungle, but not with those crazy people.”
    Troy let out a deep laugh that turned the skin of her arms into hot gooseflesh. “I totally agree. That is a scary thought. Anyway,” he continued. “Are you coming to The Moto? I made it to Junior Pro this year.”
    “Of course I’m going to go,” she said, her mouth suddenly going dry as her stomach flopped and twisted into knots.
    “Good,” he smiled. “I need a fan club.”
    She felt the color drain from her face as a wave of nausea tackled her. This is it , she told herself, just do it already . The room began fade away, and all that existed in that space was Troy. H er palms grew slick with sweat as she leaned in closer to him and lowered her voice. She could feel her pulse pounding in her neck as she forced the words out of her sticky mouth. “Then you should let me wear your practice jersey.”
    The boy smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he nodded his head.
    “Of course I will,” he said. “I’ve been meaning to ask you for a while now if you’d like to. I’ll give it to you next Wednesday so you’ll have it in time for the kick off dinner.”
    “Okay,” she smiled. “Sounds great.”
    “Cool.”
    The relief made her feel like flopping out of her seat and collapsing onto the floor. See , she told herself as she took a deep breath to calm her nerves, that wasn’t so bad . She felt more like throwing up now than she had before she’d asked him.
    “Okay , break it up, break it up,” their teacher, Mrs. Finch, said as she flurried down the aisle. “I know everyone is excited about The Moto next weekend, but we still have work to do. Let’s get going with the morning pledge so we can start our new chapter on Africans.”
    The class stood up to face the flag with the gold star in the middle hanging in the corner of the room. Putting their hands over their hearts, they began their daily recitation of the pledge. Aire’s lips were the only unmoving pair in the class .
     
    I pledge allegiance, to the flag, of the United               Community of Johnson
    And to the vigilance, by which it stands
    One people, under Johnson, in pure obedience, with peace and harmony for all
     
      The clanging of metal on metal bounced through the room as butts were planted